Taaleem Education Group

Thursday 22 February 2018 (UAE)

Taaleem Dubai

Taaleem (which means "education" in Arabic) is an education investment company and schools operator in Dubai focused on UK, UK, and IB curriculum schools and early childhood centers. Taleem was first established in 2004 in Dubai as a Private Joint Stock Company (PJSC) to invest in the educational sector, and provided finance to Beacon Education in Dubai to open 4 new schools in September 2005. In June 2007, Madaares, a subsidiary of the UAE National Bonds Corporation in the UAE, announced the acquisition of Taaleem and Beacon Education. The name Taaleem was later taken over by Madaares when it rebranded itself. Somewhere along the way, the name Beacon Education disappeared also although some Dubai residents still refer to Taaleem schools as Beacon schools.

20 August 2013

Al Farjan Villas School (Al Furjan) is no longer a Taaleem project (supplied information). Removed from list of Taleem schools.

22 May 2013 - Taleem not building new Indian schools in Abu Dhabi

A report in the Gulf News Xpress about new Indian schools in Abu Dhabi, and potential school developers and investors, said Taaleem has confirmed it has no plans to invest in Asian/Indian curriculum schools. Taaleem currently operates schools mostly in Dubai - it has one nursery in Sharjah, and one IB school in Abu Dhabi (the Al Raha School).

22 April 2012 - new Taaleem schools in Dubai (press release)

28 June 2011 - Number Works n Words UAE closed

Information received from Taaleem said that Number Works and Words in Dubai and Abu Dhabi closed during Academic Year 2010-2011.

It appears that NWNW locations in Australia, Philippines, NZ, UK are still in operation according to the NWNW website. A long way to travel from the UAE to do homework though.

11 May 2010 - New Taleem schools development suspended

An Arabian Business report of comments from the Taleem CEO, Ziad Azzam, said development of three new schools had been put on hold or delayed - "Three [schools] have been put on the backburner. There's Al Furjan School with Nakheel, the Dubailand project and a third in Bahrain". Dubailand Taaleem School name not provided.

The Durrat Al Bahrain school might open in 2014-15 but revised dates for the other two schools were not supplied.

Taaleem school fee increases 2010-2011

In March 2011 the Dubai Executive Council (DEC) ruled that Dubai private schools were not permitted to increase fees for 2010-2011.

A follow-up statement sent to the press from Clive Pierrepont, Director of Communications at Taaleem said: "We will fully support the regulators' decision but are still waiting for an announcement from the KHDA to clarify last week's statement. However, effective schools have business plans that are realistic of fee income and will fine-tune them according to any minor variables that occur. Our financial plan is aligned with our school development plans, the sole purpose of which is to further enhance the standards of education and opportunities available in our schools. We value the fact that the regulators, have in the past, recognised this alignment of plans and we hope are working towards a system of deregulation that will enable excellence to be pursued without constraints. We know that the regulators also recognise the demand for further parental choice in Dubai. ... We welcome a time when each individual school's case for a fee adjustment is judged on merit. If and when deregulation occurs, we hope that by then, parents will have sufficient information and choice to be able to discriminate and choose between the 'profiteers' and 'pioneers' in education. Taaleem applied for fee adjustments for just two of its schools."

We said "Eh? What did he say?"

Presumably Mr Pierrepont categorises Taaleem as a 'pioneer' but unknown which education providers he thinks are 'profiteers.'

In February 2010 the UAE Ministry of Education (MOE) reportedly permitted some schools to increase fees for the 2010-2011 academic year. Not clear if any Taaleem schools were included. Some GEMS schools fees were increased.

Taaleem background and history

2004 - Taaleem established as a PJSC to provide a finance vehicle for Beacon Education schools. Capital at launch of AED 125m, with future plans to raise AED 1 billion.

Feb 2005 - announcement that Taaleem joins up with Beacon Education to provide financing for the first four Beacon schools to open in Dubai in September 2005.

Apr 2005 - Taleem and Dubailand announce a new flagship school development (Dubai Education City?) to be built in Dubailand with an investment of AED 800 million to build 5 new schools on a 2.5 million sq ft plot of land near Dubai Academic City. The complex would include a nursery / early childhood school, a primary or elementary school, 2 secondary or middle/high schools, and a junior college. Day and boarding facilities would be available, and also a youth hostel for visiting students. The facility would also be the headquarters for Taaleem and Beacon Education. First buildings would open sometime in 2008. A Teacher Training Institute was also mentioned in the press release at the time. A later press release announced a new school in Al Furjan in Dubailand, unknown if it was referring to the same complex.

Feb 2006 - Madaares established and says they plan to open 14 new schools by 2012, and a total of 20 schools in the Middle East eventually.

Jul 2008 - the new Taaleem school in Bahrain will offer UK National Curriculum and IB. It will be located in Durrat Al Bahrain and will be a LEED accredited building (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Jul 2008 - a report in the Business Management ME magazine said "Taaleem currently stands at a total of six schools, but has plans to build 20 schools by 2016."

Sep 2009 - the first Taaleem school outside the UAE expected to open, in Bahrain

What? Say that again? How are Taaleem, Beacon, and Madaares connected?

Beacon Education was established first, as an education management company but it had little money. Taaleem was established next, by willing finance providers, to fund Beacon Education schools. Madaares was established next, as an investment company to buy and/or develop schools. Madaares liked Beacon and Taaleem so it bought them, and later renamed itself as Taaleem. The founding CEO of Beacon now runs the new Taaleem (ex-Madaares).

Taaleem profit or non-profit?

With regard to the question of why Taaleem is a profit-making organisation, a report in The National 28 July 2009 obtained an answer: Asked why Taaleem was not created as a not-for-profit entity, Mr Azzam was frank: "Anyone who is going to put their money in any venture expects a return. Now there are checks and balances to ensure that parents are getting value for money."

Taaleem profile and contact details

Comments

Chairman

Nasser Bin Hasan Al Sheikh

also ex-DG Dubai Dept Finance, Chairman of Amlak

CEO

Ziad Azzam

Postal Address

PO Box 76691, Dubai, UAE

Location - first floor, Century Plaza, Jumeirah Beach Rd

Telephone

+971-4-3498806

Fax

+971-4-3498807

Email

info@taaleem.ae

Taleem management and personnel

Academic Development Project Co-coordinator / Director - Keith Sedgwick (start date at Taaleem 01 September - announced in December 2008 press release). Moved to Dubai Gem School as Principal in August 2010.

Principal Designate Flagship School - Angela Hollington. Principal of Dubai Gem School from 2009-2010, then principal at Green Field Community School. She was also part of the IB Teacher Training Program at Taaleem.

Related pages

Related websites (new window)

www.taaleem.ae - Taaleem Dubai website. Similar domains include: www.taaleem.com belongs to a Saudi based school or educational organisation (presumably unrelated to Taaleem Dubai), and www.taaleem.org belongs to a Bahrain/UAE based management consultant (also assumed to be unrelated to Taaleem Dubai).